Visiting the Antipodes
by Lady Kes
Summary: "Anna wasn't quite sure how Lady Mary had made the acquaintance of The Honorable Miss Phryne Fisher in the first place. However they'd made each other's acquaintance, though, Miss Fisher had invited Lady Mary and Lady Mary had accepted." In which Anna Bates goes to Australia and meets a kindred spirit.
A note on timing: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries Series Three occurs in 1929. Downton Abbey Series Six takes place in 1925. This story occurs sometime in 1930, so vague spoilers for all six series of Downton and all three of Miss Fisher.

Australia was a very long way away.

She knew that of course. She could look at the map in the library. It was one thing to know a thing, though, and another to actually get on a ship and go to the other side of the world. But Lady Mary had been invited to visit and thought it would be a grand opportunity to see more of the world now that all the children were a bit older and able to be left in the capable hands of their governess. For her part, Anna wasn't quite sure how Lady Mary had made the acquaintance of The Honorable Miss Phryne Fisher in the first place, let alone getting to know her to the point of being invited to visit Miss Fisher in Australia. She thought it likely had something to do with motor cars and Mr. Talbot.

However they'd made each other's acquaintance, though, Miss Fisher had invited Lady Mary and Lady Mary had accepted. So here Anna and Lady Mary both were, just about to disembark in Australia after far too long on a ship, even a comfortable, well-appointed ship. Lady Mary had of course been in first class while Anna had been in third, but it had been comfortable all the same, as ships went.

"Anna, I think I've misplaced my hat, and I must have it. Phryne says the heat and sun are something altogether different in the antipodes," Lady Mary said, and looked up as Anna proffered the hat wordlessly.

"Of course I haven't misplaced it. You knew exactly where it was," she added warmly. For all that Anna was still Lady Mary's maid, for some time now it had seemed a bit more like she was a companion, and that suited them both very well.

A message came over the tannoy that they were now permitted to disembark and Anna checked that all the luggage was labelled properly just one more time before following Lady Mary out and down the gangplank. A woman who looked like she ought to be a film star was waving madly from the pier and Lady Mary waved back a bit more sedately. Anna noted that Miss Fisher was accompanied by another woman who was wearing something far more like Anna's dress. The woman looked kind and competent and Anna was prepared to like her already.

"Mary, how lovely to see you again," Miss Fisher said effusively, offering French-like air kisses to Lady Mary's cheeks. "Isn't the voyage ever so long? You really should have considered an aeroplane."

"I think I'll stay on the Orient Line, at least until aeroplanes start serving tea - or cocktails," Lady Mary replied, and Miss Fisher laughed as she linked arms with Lady Mary and began to walk towards two waiting cabs. She glanced over her shoulder at Anna and smiled, though.

"And you must be Mrs. Bates, Lady Mary's maid. You and Dot - Mrs. Collins - will have plenty to talk about, I'm sure."

Mrs. Collins smiled at Anna and Anna smiled back.

"I'm sure, Miss Fisher," she replied politely, and Mrs. Collins spoke up as well.

"We'll stay back and organize the luggage, Miss. I'm sure Lady Mary will wish to freshen up."

"Indeed. Bert and Cec are waiting patiently, so we'll leave you to worry about all the little details."

With that, Miss Fisher swanned off with Lady Mary. Anna exchanged a glance with Mrs. Collins that spoke of complete understanding in the upper class's ability to leave all the work to others.

"Lady Mary's luggage should be coming up shortly, Mrs. Collins," she assured the other woman.

"Oh, you must call me Dot. Everyone else does," Dot implored her with a sweet smile, and Anna nodded.

"Dot, then. And I'm Anna. Who are Bert and Cec?" Anna asked, but at that moment another man, clearly a working-class one, approached them and tipped his cap.

"Right-o, Dottie, miss, how much've we got to haul today?" he asked in the broadest accent Anna had ever heard, though she wasn't sure how much of it was due to the cigarette at the edge of his lower lip. Even Dot's accent wasn't quite so broad.

"Three large steamer trunks and one smaller bag, please, all tagged with Lady Mary Talbot," Anna said politely, and the man nodded before heading off and organizing the baggage, then coming back with them.

"That's Bert," Dot told her as they watched the man take care of things. "Cec is his business partner. They're cabbies, but they help Miss Fisher with other things too. The other person you'll meet soon is Mr. Butler, who keeps us all in line."

"The butler is named Mr. Butler?" Anna confirmed, and when Dot nodded, Anna immediately decided the man must look like Mr. Carson. She'd find out soon enough, she supposed, and got into the cab with Dot once the trunks and Anna's bag were loaded.

The ride to Miss Fisher's home was enjoyable. Bert kept up a running, colorful commentary on what they were seeing, where they were passing, and what Anna must be sure to do while she was in town. Dot chimed in only occasionally, mostly to remind Bert that Anna didn't need to know the location of every public hotel in Melbourne.

When they arrived at 221B The Esplanade, Bert helped move the trunks in and up to a guest room as directed by Mr. Butler, who looked nothing at all like Mr. Carson. Anna would have followed them to begin unpacking, but Dot assured her that it could wait until they'd all had their tea together round the well-scrubbed kitchen table It was excellent tea, especially since it was on solid ground, and Anna complimented Mr. Butler, which made the little man beam before he left to check on Miss Fisher and Lady Mary. They could all hear the two women laughing from the parlor.

"Well, I'm off," Bert said after two cups of very sweet tea. "Dottie, you got any of those biscuits Constable Collins likes? Drop em off at City South as I go past."

Dot got up to prepare a tin of biscuits and Anna frowned a bit in confusion. Dot was clearly married to this Constable Collins from the smile on her face, but why would Bert go by a police station just to drop off biscuits? She waited until Bert had left and they'd gone upstairs to begin unpacking for Lady Mary to ask, of course.

"Dot," she began, trying to decide how to ask. "Forgive me for asking out of turn, but why is Bert going to a police station just to drop off biscuits?"

Dot smiled and continued to hang up dresses. "He's not. Miss Fisher is a private detective. She - consults - with Detective Inspector Robinson and she asked Bert to check up on something for their current murder investigation."

There was something about the way Dot said "consults" that made Anna think that something else might be going on with Miss Fisher and this Inspector Robinson, but Anna knew very well not to ask. Dot was a loyal companion and wasn't likely to gossip, even if Anna had been rude enough to ask.

"A lady of quality working as a private detective? And she's got an active murder case on now?" she confirmed as Dot nodded.

"Well, this will be an interesting holiday," she decided, and chuckled with Dot. 


End file.
